Character's POV
My muscles coiled.
The razor-sharp edge of the silver tie clip angled perfectly toward the unprotected carotid artery of the incoming meat mountain. A singular, bloody strike. That was all it would take.
But a fraction of a second before I plunged the metal into his throat, a devastating mass of explosive violence blurred past my vision.
The bodyguard didn't even have time to scream.
A sickening crunch of shattered ribs echoed through the freezing VIP lounge. The massive bodyguard was violently thrown through the air, crashing into a glass display case with a deafening shatter.
I blinked, instantly dropping the tie clip into the thick carpet.
Caleb Blackwood stood where the bodyguard had been a millisecond ago. He wore the charcoal tactical-cut shirt, the dark fabric stretching taut across his broad, lethal shoulders. His golden eyes were blazing with terrifying, untethered Lycan King dominance.
The air pressure in the room plummeted.
"C-Caleb!" Selena shrieked, her face draining of all color as she stared at her broken, groaning bodyguard amidst the shattered glass. "He... she insulted me! That filthy rat—"
"Shut your mouth," Caleb's voice was barely louder than a whisper, but it vibrated with a dark, bone-chilling command that made my own hidden wolf suppress a shiver.
He didn't even look at Selena. He didn't ask what happened. His glacial gaze just swept over my frayed sweater, lingering for half a second on my empty hands.
"She is mine to deal with," Caleb stated, his tone brooking zero argument. "If your mutts ever step within ten feet of her again, I will rip your throat out myself. Do you understand?"
Selena trembled violently, tears of pure terror welling in her eyes. She practically scrambled backward, fleeing the lounge in mortified horror.
My heart hammered a frantic, irregular rhythm against my ribs. Not from fear of Selena, but from the unbearable, suffocating intensity of Caleb's possessiveness. He was defending me like property. A very delicate, very fragile piece of property that the world's most dangerous predator had violently claimed.
"Let's go," Caleb commanded, grabbing his jacket.
I kept my head down, forcing the terrified civilian mask firmly into place. "Y-Yes, Mr. Blackwood."
The drive back to the slums was agonizingly quiet. Caleb's suffocating aura filled the armored SUV, pressing against my senses.
The second the vehicle pulled up to the curb outside my run-down grocery store, a muffled, guttural, agonizingly low-frequency growl vibrated through the cracked walls.
It came from the back room.
Leo.
My stomach violently dropped into an endless abyss. The blood curse. It was happening again, and it was escalating faster than before.
I ripped the car door open before Caleb even cut the engine, sprinting blindly into the dusty shop. My chest tightened so painfully I could barely drag air into my lungs.
"Leo!" I yelled, throwing my purse aside.
The heavy thud of Caleb's tactical boots echoed right behind me. He followed me inside. Cold sweat gathered on the back of my neck. If Caleb saw Leo's crimson eyes—if he recognized the Royal Lycan bloodline mutation—we were dead.
"What's that sound?" Caleb's voice was sharp, his deadly instincts instantly locking onto the suppressed growls vibrating from behind the locked back door. "Is there a feral stray back there?"
"No! Stay out!" I blocked the hallway, spreading my trembling arms. "It's just... a stray dog we took in. He's sick and aggressive."
Caleb's golden eyes narrowed. He stepped closer, towering over me. "Move, Elara. A feral wolf could tear you apart."
Before he could forcefully brush me aside, the entire shop plunged into pitch-black darkness.
Arthur. My genius hacker perfectly timed the localized blackout.
"Ow!" A tiny voice shrieked from the dark kitchen area.
A loud crash of a ceramic tray shattered across the floorboards.
"Mia!" I screamed, my voice cracking violently.
In the sudden darkness, Caleb cursed, instinctively turning his broad back to protect me as he moved toward the source of the crash.
"I tripped!" Mia cried out in the dark.
A sharp, almost imperceptible hiss of breath came from Caleb.
Thirty seconds later, the dirty fluorescent lights flickered back on.
Arthur stood by the fuse box, looking perfectly innocent. Mia sat on the floor, surrounded by broken porcelain tea cups, rubbing her knee with big, watery eyes.
And Caleb stood right beside her.
He frowned, looking down at his exposed forearm. The sleeve of his expensive new shirt was neatly sliced open. A thin, perfectly clean cut etched across his hardened skin.
Just a scratch, seemingly from the flying shards of broken teacups.
But in the chaotic shadows, Mia had subtly slipped a minuscule, blood-smeared glass vial into her tiny pocket. Her movements were smooth, calculated, and flawless. The venomous grace of the Nightshade Guild deeply embedded in her five-year-old veins.
Caleb wiped the tiny droplet of blood from his arm, the wound already knitting itself shut from his mutant Lycan healing factor. He frowned in severe annoyance, but dismissed the scratch immediately.
"Are you hurt?" his deep voice softened infinitesimally as he looked at Mia.
"No, mister," Mia sniffled, acting perfectly fragile.
I rushed forward, scooping her up, my heart pounding so hard my ribs ached. "I am so sorry, Mr. Blackwood. The wiring here is terrible. You... you should leave. I have to clean this up and handle the dog."
Caleb stared at me, his gaze lingering on my frantic, pale face. Finally, he nodded curtly. "Lock the doors."
The second his armored SUV vanished down the street, I bolted.
I carried Mia straight down into the hidden sub-basement bunker, Arthur hot on my heels.
The heavy steel door sealed shut behind us.
Leo was thrashing against the reinforced straps on the medical cot, his tiny fangs fully extended, his eyes burning with a terrifying, demonic crimson light. Deep, agonizing whimpers tore from his little throat.
My hands violently shook. "Mia. Quickly."
Mia didn't say a word. Her small hands were steady. She produced the vial, holding exactly three drops of Caleb Blackwood's pure, Royal Lycan blood. She mixed it with the crushed herbs she had prepared, forming a thick, glowing red paste.
I held Leo's thrashing head still, my heart shattering into a thousand pieces at his pain. "Hold on, baby. Mommy's got you."
Mia carefully smeared the paste onto the inside of Leo's trembling lip.
Silence slammed into the room.
Leo gasped, his tiny spine arching violently. Then, all the tension drained out of him. The terrifying crimson in his eyes rapidly dissolved, replaced by the soft, exhausted golden hue of his irises. His breathing steadied into a peaceful, deep slumber.
I collapsed against the side of the cot, my legs giving out. A violent sob tore out of my throat as the crushing weight finally lifted off my chest. It worked. His father's blood worked.
From the corner of the bunker, a soft, electronic chime echoed in the clinical silence.
Arthur stood silently in front of the advanced DNA sequencer. The pale blue light from the monitors washed over his serious, childish face.
I slowly turned my head.
On the massive screen, bold, unyielding white letters glared against the dark background.
Subject A: Leo
Subject B: Caleb Blackwood
Paternity Match: 99.99%
The undeniable truth stared back at me. I was hiding the Lycan King's heirs directly under his nose.